There are several reasons to stop by Roswell’s Bulloch Hall to take in the Great American Cover-up Quilt Show mounted there each year by the Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild. The beauty of the handmade quilts is, of course, the primary motivation. Now in its 32nd year, the show will feature 205 quilts in a dazzling variety of sizes and designs.

“Our theme this year is Reflections,” said event co-chair Marie Wood. “We issued a challenge to the guild members to create a small quilt, no bigger than 24-inch square, on their interpretation of the theme.

“It could be reflections of the past, reflections of an image in a mirror or water, or simply reflecting angles in a pattern, what ever was their personal interpretation. The challenge quilts will be on exhibit at the show.”

Then, there is the guest artist. “Our special exhibit features Karen Tunnel, who is an art quilter specializing in realistic landscapes and abstract nature scenes,” said Lisa Walker, the other co-chair. “She dyes her own fabric which adds an interesting element of texture and movement to her pieces.”

A fresh new version of quilting by guild members will also be on display.

“We took a workshop on Sashiko last year, which is a form of Japanese stitching, initially used to repair kimonos,” Walker said. “Guild members made bags and jackets using this type of stitching, which will be displayed in the kitchen at Bulloch Hall.”

There is also a strong emotional component to this show. There is a memorial for two guild members who died last year.

“Gerry Largay disappeared in Maine on the Appalachian Trail last July. The rangers know the specific area where she was hiking, but nothing has been found to indicate what happened to her,” Walker said. “Gerry was a gifted artist and beloved by many.”

Kathy O’Meara Magnuson died of Lupus in December of last year, Walker said. “She was also a very talented art quilter and will be greatly missed. This exhibit will feature quilts made by both women.”

This is the second year that Walker and Wood have been co-chairs. “Everyone in the guild works hard to pull this event together every year. The production of the show is definitely a guild effort,” Wood said. We are a small guild with only 51 members, so each member has to pitch in making quilts and manning the shifts to host the show. We have quilters from all around Georgia and as far away as Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina who have entered quilts in the show as well.”

Show attendees will also be able to tour antebellum Bulloch Hall, which is a unique venue, Wood said.

“It adds so much to be able to display the quilts on beds and on walls around the historic childhood home of Mittie Bulloch, mother of our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt.”

The 32nd Annual Great American Cover-Up opens Saturday and runs through March 16. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Sunday, when hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 6 to 12. The majority of the proceeds from the show will go to support their ongoing efforts. For information, visit www.bhqg.org.

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